MONTEROSSO AL MARE, ITALY (Cinque Terre)

Monterosso al Mare was the last village we visited.  It had a different feel than the other village. 

 The town is divided into two distinct parts: the old town and the new town. The two areas are divided by a single tunnel that caters to pedestrians and there are very few cars in the town.  The beach at Monterosso runs along most of the coast line and is the only extensive sand beach in the Cinque Terre.

VERNAZZA, ITALY (Cinque Terre)

Of all the villages in Cinque Terre, I think Vernazza was my favorite to photograph.  It has colorful, antique homes that cling to steep cliffs and a lovely small harbor that shelters under the shadows of an ancient castle and a beautiful seaside church. 

 Vernazza had massive flooding and mudslides that left the town buried in over 13 feet of mud and debris in 2011.  Fortunately,  the town has recovered and most of the shops and restaurants are back in business.

MANAROLA, ITALY (Cinque Terre)

I have always traveled to tropical locations so this was a change for me.  My daughter has a history/teaching degree and it has been her dream to travel to Europe and see first-hand all of the places she had studied.  She & I both earned our degrees last spring ( I finally finished my degree that I started many years ago) so this was our celebration vacation.

RIOMAGGIORE, ITALY (Cinque Terre)

Riomaggiore is the most southern village of the five Cinque Terre.  The town of Riomaggiore presents typical features reflecting its history and traditions.  The town stretches along a vertical axes where steep staircases are the only means to move around the town and the typical houses have one or two-floor towers.

The first historical traces date back to 1239, when the inhabitants of the feudal district of Carpena entered in the Compagnia Genovese.

Day Excursion to Cinque Terre - Tips & Information

Traveling to Italy had been a dream of my for years and visiting Cinque Terre was at the top of places I wanted to visit.  I never dreamed I would actually make it there but using travel miles and money saved, I finally made it there. 

Not only did I make it to Italy, but several other countries as well.  

Since I was on a Mediterranean Cruise and was only in port for one day, I had to make the most of my time. You can see most of Cinque Terre in the length of time you have in port if you stay on schedule.